HUMN 7018 Ecopsychology and Cultural Change
Credit Points 10
Legacy Code 101652
Coordinator Erin Mackenzie Opens in new window
Description From 2020 students should note that core units are now taught in semesters rather than half yearly sessions. Ecopsychology is concerned with the relationship between human consciousness, human actions and environmental issues. It seeks to understand the sources, both phenomenological and socio-cultural, of the disjuncture between nature and psyche and to develop possibilities for personal and cultural re-connection and healing. Through applying experiential methods, critical inquiry and engagement with ecopsychological writings, students develop their awareness of "self", "nature", "culture" and explore the dynamics between them. The unit incorporates perspectives on ecological identity, ecospirituality and sense of place as ways of re-imagining the human-nature relationship and effecting ecologically-oriented change.
School Education
Discipline Education Studies
Student Contribution Band HECS Band 1 10cp
Check your HECS Band contribution amount via the Fees page.
Level Postgraduate Coursework Level 7 subject
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:
- critically analyse and reflect upon the experiential and socio-cultural dimensions of their own personal relationships with nature;
- employ a range of methods for developing a critical and reflexive ecological consciousness;
- critically evaluate differing psychological, spiritual and ecological standpoints as they apply to the development of ecological identity;
- critique the influence of personal, cultural and cosmological narratives in shaping human-nature relationships;
- apply ecopsychological perspectives to inform processes of cultural transformation;
- articulate potentials and challenges associated with the project of ecopsychology.
Subject Content
Nature and psyche - perceived oppositions and integrative possibilities
Ecological consciousness and ecological identity
Ecological perspectives on self and society
Sense of place
Somatic, archetypal and transpersonal approaches to ecopsychology
Deep ecology & new cosmologies
Place, story, relationships and reconciliation
Ecopsychology and cultural change
Assessment
The following table summarises the standard assessment tasks for this subject. Please note this is a guide only. Assessment tasks are regularly updated, where there is a difference your Learning Guide takes precedence.
| Item | Length | Percent | Threshold | Individual/Group Task |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ecopsychology reflection and project plan | 1,000 words | 25 | N | Individual |
| Project report | 4,500 words | 75 | N | Individual |
Teaching Periods